Mechanical toy



1. s. JONES. MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JUL YZB, 1920. 1,386,507, I Patented Aug. 2, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Jami/70ft 6. Jones I. .l Q

J. S. JONES.

MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY26, 1920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921. E? 6 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 12' 10 jrmeflfior- J 1027mm. Jones,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MECHANICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Application filed July 26, 1920. Serial No. 399,139.

To all whom. it may concern: Be it known that I, JONATHAN S. Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanical toys but more particularly to automatic toys of the gravity-operated type, and one of the objects of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction of such a toy, and at the same time provide an improved, strong and durable toy of this character which will be eifective and cfiicient in operation and of an attractive appearance.

A further object is to provide an improved toy of this character the actuating medium for which may be desired granular or frceflowing substance or any other freely movable objects such as shot, marbles, metal balls, or like objects. i

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the'inventionconsists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view as taken on line 22 Fig. 3, showing the parts in a different position from the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section as taken on line 3--:% Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view partly in side elevation, partly in section, and partly broken away of a modified form of the invention showing the parts in two different positions. 7

,Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line'5 5 Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designates generally a support of any desired size and configuration but preferably embodies spaced uprights between which and adjacent the upper end thereof is arranged a beam 11 pivotally connected intermediate its ends as at 12 with the uprights so that the beam will have a free oscillating movement about the pivot 12.

The beam may project for any desired distance on opposite sides of the upright and connected with each end of the beam is a receptacle 13 which may also be of any desired size and configuration. The receptacles are connected with the end of the beam in any suitable manner but are preferably disposed at a slight angle thereto so that the contents of the receptacles may be discharged, in a manner to be hereinafter set forth, at points in the movement of the beam which will not necessitate too great a movement of the beam about its pivot.

Each of the receptacles 13 is provided with a discharge outlet 14 of any desired form but is here shown as embodying a plurality of openings in the bottom of the receptacle.

Pivotally connected with each of the receptacles 18 is a gravity controlled cut-off 15. This cut-01f is mounted to swing about a pivot 16 so that as the beam 11 is rocked or oscillated about the pivot 12 the cut-off 15 will freely swing about the pivot 16, ac cording to the position assumed by the receptacle 13 to open or close the discharge outlet 14.

All of the parts above described may be constructed of any suitable material and may be of any desired configuration.

In use, the beam is moved to a substantially horizontal position or to the position shown in Fig. 1 and if desired any suitable means may be provided for maintaining the parts in this position. To that end there may be provided a locking pin or device 17 which is adapted to slide through one of the uprights 10. This locking device is provided with a handle 18 the extremity 19 of which is adapted to be projected through an opening 20 in the beam 11. If desired a collar 21 may be provided on the body of the fastening device which serves as a means for limiting the shifting movement of the fastening device.

hen the extremity 19 of the fastening device is inserted in the opening 20 the beam 11 will be locked against movement and the gravity cut-offs 15 will assume positions to close the discharge outlet 14 of the respective receptacles 13. These receptacles 13 may be then filled with any suitable granular or free flowing substance or any other freely movable objects such as shot, marbles, metal balls, or like objects, which are of a size to permit them to freely pass contents of the receptacle will flow therefrom into a suitable receptacle 22, which if desired may be provided for the purpose. When a sufficient quantity of the material hasbeen discharged from the lowermost receptacle 13 so that the weight thereof will be less than the weight of the material in the uppermost receptacle 13, the latter will over come the former causing the uppermost receptacle 13 to be lowered thereby swinging the beam 11 about its pivot 12 and raising the lowermost receptacle 13. This operation will continue and cause thebeam to automatically rock about its pivot so long as there is any material in the receptacles 13.

If desired, and in order to add to the appearance of or amusement with the toy a suitable object or figure 23 may be pivotally mounted as at 2 1 upon the beam 11 and which object is adapted for free swinging movement about its pivot 24 first in one direction and then the other as the beam 11 is oscillated. One of these objects 23 may, if desired, be provided on each side of the pivot 12.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 there is provided a runway 25 which is connected with the beam 11 in" any suitable manner so as to move therewith. The extremities of the runway 25 are preferably spaced above the beam 11 and extend on vent the object fromleaving the track.

. be of any desired diameter and the runway and ob ect 27 may be of any suitable construction.

The portion 29 of the runway 25 is so disposed with respect to the remaining portion of the runway that the object 27 will be maintained upon the portion 29 until the runway assumes .a predetermined and inclined position and which inclined position i will be such that the object 27 W111 be automatically delivered from the portion 29 of the runway and will be given impetus enough as it travels the inclined portion of the runway to completely traverse the loop 28 and be delivered to the other end of the runway.

This object 27 and runway 25 are provided as a means for adding to the amusement of the toy and also to the attractiveness thereof. When the runway is employed the object 27 cooperating therewith serves as a means for holding the beam .11 in an inclined position for a greater length of time than it would otherwise be held and thereby will cause a greater quantity of the material to be delivered from the lowermost receptacle before the beam moves about its pivot in the opposite direction. I

In order that the beam will not be maintained in this adjusted position a sufficient length of time to discharge all of the material from the receptacle and in order to counterbalance the object so that the beam 11 will. be sensitive in operation, a. weighted pendulum or counterbalance 30 may be provided and which may be engaged with the beam 11 adjacent the pivot 12 or may be engaged with the runway 25.

By the employment of this counterbalancing weight it will be manifest that the toy will still remain sensitive in its operation.

Suitable stops 31 may be provided for limiting the pivotal movement of the beam 11 and these stops 31 are preferably arranged in the path of movement of the counterbalancing weight 30.

WVith this form of the invention it will be manifest that the operation of the delivery of the material from the receptacles 13 will be the same as with the form shownin Figs. 1 and 2 with the addition of the traveling object 27 which latter will be automatically delivered first from one end to the other end of the runway 25 and during its passage from one end to the other of the runway the object will traverse the loop 28.

' In the present form of the invention the pivots are herein shown as permanently connecting the cooperating elements but it is to be understood that if desired the pivots may be so constructed that they may be readily removed so the device may be readily collapsed for storage or shipment purposes. 7

While the preferred forms of the invention have herein been shown and described it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details'of construction andin the combination andarrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is 1. A toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted interme-- diate its ends, a receptacle carried by the beam on each side of and spacedfrom the pivot, each of said receptaclesadapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, and freely swinging cutofi's individual to the receptacles for openingand closing the respective outlets, the positions of said cut-ofi's with relation to the respective receptacles being controlled by the movements and positions of the receptacles.

2. A toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle carried by the beam on each side of and spaced from the pivot, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, and freely swinging cutofis individual to the receptacles for opening and closing the respective outlets, the positions of said cut-ofi's with relation to the respective receptacles being controlled by the movements and positions of the receptacles, the outlet of one receptacle being closed when the outlet of the other receptacle is open to permit of the discharge of some of the contents of the latter, the outlet of the last recited receptacle being automatically closed when sufiicient material has been discharged from the latter so that the weight of the other receptacle will cause the said beam toswing about its pivot.

3. A toy of the character, described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle carried by the beam on each side of andspaced from the pivot, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, freely swinging cutoffs individual to the receptacles for opening and closing the respective outlets, the positions of said cut-offs with relation to the respective receptacles being controlled by the movements and positions of the receptacles, and an object movable with and freely movable with respect to the beam, the movement of the object with respect to the beam being controlled by the movement of the beam about its pivot.

7 4. A toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle mounted on each side of the pivot and movable with the beam, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, and a gravity controlled cut-off for the discharge outlet of each of the receptacles, said cut-ofis operating in opposition to each other, whereby the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately descreased below the weight of the material in the other receptacle and thereby cause the beam to automatically rock about its pivot.

5. A toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle mounted on each side of the pivot and movable with the beam, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, a gravity controlled cut-off for the discharge outlet of each of the receptacles, said cut-offs operating in opposition to each other, whereby the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately deer-eased below the weight of the material in the other receptacle and thereby cause the beam to automatically rock about its pivot, and an object movable with the beam and freely movable with respect thereto, said object being automatically set in operation with respect to the beam.

6. A toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle mounted on each side of the pivot and movable with the beam, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, a gravity controlled cut-off for the discharge outlet of each of the receptacles, said cut-offs operating in opposition to each other, whereby the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately decreased below the weight of the material in the otherrreceptacle and thereby cause. the beam to automatically rock about its pivot, and means movable with the beam and with respect thereto, the said means being automatically shiftable from one side to the other side of the pivot of the beam.

7. toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle mounted on each side of the pivot and movable with the beam, each of said receptacles adapted to rece1ve a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, a gravity controlled cut-ofi' for the discharge outlet of each of the receptacles, said cut-offs operating in opposition to each other, whereby the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately decreased below the weight of the material in the other receptacle and thereby cause the beam to automatically rock about its pivot, means movable with the beam and with respect thereto, the said means being automatically shiftable from one side to the other side of the pivot of the beam as the beam rocks about its pivot, and means for limiting the pivotal movements of the beam.

8. A toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle mounted on each side of the pivot and movable with the beam, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, a gravity controlled cut-off for the outlet of each receptacle, said cut-ofls operating in opposition to each other, whereby the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately decreased below the weight of the material in the other receptacle and thereby cause the beam to automatically rock about its pivot, a runway movable with by the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately decreased below the weight of the material in the other receptacle and thereby cause the beam to automatically rock about its pivot, a runway movable with the beam, and an object mounted to freely travel back and forth upon the runway from one side of the pivot to the other side thereof,

said runway having a vertically disposed loop intermediate its endsadapted to be traversed by the said object as travels upon the runway.

.10. A bodying a beam pivotally mounted inter? mediate its ends, a receptacle mounted on? each side of the pivot and movable with the beam, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a'supply of material and having a discharge outlet, a gravity controlled cute-off for the outlet of each receptacle, said cut-offs operating in opposition to each other, whereby the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately decreased below the toy of the character describedem-I weight of the material in the otherreceptacle andthereby cause the beam to automatically rock about its pivot, a runway movable with the beam, an object mounted to freely travel back and forth upon the runway from one side of the pivot to the other side thereof,

and counterbalancing means connected with.

the beam.

11. A toy of the character described embodying a beam pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, a receptacle mounted on eachside of the pivot andmovable with the beam, each of said receptacles adapted to receive a supply of material and having a discharge outlet, a gravity controlled cut-off for the outlet of each receptacle, sald cut-offs operating in opposition to each other, whereby the weight of the material in each receptacle will be alternately decreased below the weight of the material in the other receptacle and'thereby cause the beam to automatically rock about its pivot, a runway movable with the be'am,-an objectmounted to freely travel back and forth upon the'runway from one side of the pivot to the other side thereof,

and means "operating to retain the object at a 'predeterminted point upon'the runway until the runway moves with the beam to a predetermined position, the said means then operating to automatically release the object.-

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisjspecifi'cation, on this QQnclrlayof July, A. D. 1920. l 'SQJONES. 

